Jay-Z’ TIDAL Announces $1 Million Musician Grant Program

Hip hop mogul Jay Z is continuing his efforts to support independent artists through his TIDAL platform.

It was recently announced that Hova‘s streaming company TIDAL is helping up-and-coming artists through the launch of a $1 million grant program called TIDAL Unplugged! The grant will help boost the careers of emerging artists by providing them with funds for obtaining equipment and booking studio time in a professional recording space.

But wait…..because there’s more!

Recipients will also receive mentoring and have their music receive promotional support from TIDAL Rising, a separate program that highlights emerging artists from around the world. In addition to all of that, grant recipients will also get to perform in a TIDAL Unplugged showcase.

The grant is part of a donation from venture capitalists Robert Nelsen and Mark Lampert. To apply, artists just need to submit their music directly onto TIDAL’s streaming site. Those selected will split the $1 million in monthly stipends that will be sent directly to the grant recipients. Individualized game plans will be assembled for each recipient to help them effectively use the funds for furthering their musical careers.

The grant is set to officially launch on March 1 in the city of Detroit. On that date, local artists can submit their entries to Tidal.com/Unplugged. Though all music genres will be accepted, the submission must either be in a capella form or performed with an acoustic guitar.

The final grant recipients will be announced in May. Once announced, TIDAL will work with each artist to develop four original songs that will be distributed on the streaming site. The recipients will also be able to keep all of their master recordings!

Other artists outside of Detroit will eventually be able to apply, however, that date has yet to be announced.